Multipack carriers

ABSTRACT

A multiunit package of containers, such as cans, with outward end beads or rims and a carrier for the package in the form of a strip of suitable material, preferably plastic, carrying clips, either integral with the strip or separately attached thereto, and appropriately spaced to engage adjacent and abutting container rims in the package; and when the strip is assembled to one end of the package, the strip may be looped intermediate adjacent clips to provide finger gripping means for carrying the package or separate handle means may be provided; or when the strip is applied to opposite ends of the packaged containers, the strip may have included handle means for carrying the package with the containers in horizontal position.

United States Patent I 72] Inventor Ougljesa Jules Poupitch Itasca, Ill. [21] Appl. No. 767,387 [22] Filed Oct. 14, 1968 [45] Patented Dec. 21, 1971 [73] Assignee Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Chicago, Ill.

[54] MULTIPACK CARRIERS 3 Clalms, 13 Drawing Figs.

3,355,013 11/1967 Poupitch Primary Examiner-Andres H. Nielsen Attorneys-Robert W. Beart, Michael Kova, Barry L. Clark and Jack R. Halvorsen ABSTRACT: A multiunit package of containers, such as cans, with outward end beads or rims and a carrier for the package in the form of a strip of suitable material, preferably plastic, carrying clips, either integral with the strip or separately attached thereto, and appropriately spaced to engage adjacent and abutting container rims in the package; and when the strip is assembled to one end of the package, the strip may be looped intermediate adjacent clips to provide finger gripping means for carrying the package or separate handle means may be provided; or when the strip is applied to opposite ends of the packaged containers, the strip may have included handle means for carrying the package with the containers in horizontal position.

PATENTEU 0:021 m SHEET 2 BF 2 INVENTQR. 0ugljesa Jules Poup/fch MULTIPACK CARRIERS This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a multiunit package of cans or similar containers and a carrier strip having strip-connected spaced loops for engaging the outward rims or beads of adjacent cans and handle means for carrying the package.

An object of the invention is to provide a carrier for such a package wherein the clips may be formed integral with a strip of suitable material, such as plastic, or they may be separately attached to and carried by the strip in which case the strip is complementarily apertured to receive the clips for this purpose.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multiunit package of the above type wherein handle means may be provided by looped portions of the strip intermediate adjacent clips, or by handle means separately attached to the strip.

A further object of the invention is to provide a package of the above type wherein the strip and associated clips may be attached to opposite ends of the containers in the package with handle means as an integral part of the strip or separately attached to the ends thereof for carrying the package with the cans or like containers in horizontal position.

The above and other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will hereinafter be more fully pointed out.

In the accompany drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the assembled package as a six-pack of cans;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. I with the cardboard cover separated from the package;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the package of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of FIG. 3 with the cover removed;

FIG. 5 is an end elevation of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a reduced fragmentary bottom plan view of the integral strip and clips;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a strip with clips separately attached thereto in position to be applied to engage the container rims;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, substantially reversed view of FIG.

FIG. 9 is a detail perspective view showing a clip in position to be attached to the complementarily apertured strip;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a partially assembled package where the strip and attached clips will engage opposite end beads of the containers and an intermediate portion of the strip between the container ends serves as a handle means;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a package with the strip and clips of FIG. 7 and showing a separately attached handle means; and

FIGS. 12 and 13 are perspective views showing modifications of handle means separately attached to strips with clips engaging the container heads at opposite ends of the package.

Referring in more detail to the accompanying drawings and particularly to the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 through 6, a six-pack package of cans C is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this form of the invention, the strip and clips are integral and may be formed of any suitable material, preferably plastic. The clips 10, I2 and 14 are spaced to engage adjacent end rims or beads of the containers. Intermediate the clips, the strip is provided with finger gripping loop portions 16, 16a which may be preformed or flexed to that shape. With such a package of containers, there may be provided a cardboard or plastic cover D serving as a display surface for product identification, advertising, or the like.

The clips are identicaL'whether integral with the strip or separately attached thereto, so that the details of one such clip will now be described and reference will also be made to FIG. 9 in this connection. Each clip 10, 12 and 14 includes a top portion 20 having at the ends thereof depending end portions the top portion 20, each clip is provided with depending sidewall portions 28, 280 which present inner surfaces curved to complementally and snugly engage the adjacent inner curved surfaces of adjacent container beads or rims l8. Intermediate the lengths of the wall portions 28, 28a, there are provided outwardly extending ribs 30, 3011, serving as reinforcement means and including downwardly facing shoulder surfaces 32, 32a. Referring back to FIGS. 4 and 5, it will be noted that the top portion 20 of each clip overlies and rests on the underlying adjacent and abutting container beads 18 with the inner surfaces of the beads snugly engaged by the complemental surfaces of the wall portions 28, 280. When so attached to a pair of containers, the lugs or shoulder surfaces 24, 24a at one end of a clip and the similar surfaces 26, 26a at the opposite end thereof are engaged beneath the under and outwardly extending surfaces of adjacent container beads for support purposes in cooperation with the engagement therewith by the depending wall portions 28, 28a. Thus, with the integral strip and clip construction shown in- FIGS. 1 through 6, the clipconnected pairs of containers may be lifted as a multiunit package by grasping the loop or finger portions 16, 160.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, illustrating individual clips 10a, 12a, 14a each of which is separately attached to a strip S of suitable material, preferably plastic. For this purpose, the strip S is provided with transverse openings or slots 34, 34a therethrough to receive by suitable manipulation the depending end portions 22, 22a, respectively, of each clip with the shoulder surfaces 24, 24a and 26, 26a underlying the strip. The side edges of the depending portions 22, 22a may be tapered, as illustrated, to facilitate assembly with the strip. When so assembled, the large opening 36 in the strip receives the depending wall portions 28, 280 with the vertical edges 31, 31a of the ribs 30, 30a engaging the edges of the opening 36 and with the shoulder portions 32, 32a overlying and engaging the outer surface of the strip.

The strip shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, that is, the strip with individual clips separately attached thereto, may be employed in the modified forms of packages shown in FIGS. I0 through I3 to which reference is now made. Strip SI of FIG. I0 is of the type to embrace opposite ends of a multiunit package'with attached clips engaging the container beads as described above. In this form of package, the cardboard cover D may be applied to one end of a package and a similar cardboard cover DI may be applied to the opposite end thereof. When assembled to connect the units of thepackage, there remains a portion Sla at'one end of the strip which serves as a handle for carrying the package with the containers in horizontal position. In FIG. 11 a single strip S2 is employed with separately attached clips I0a, 12a, 14a joining adjacent pairs of containers in the manner described above and provided with a separately attached handle 40 by which the package can be carried with the ends of the containers uppermost. In FIGS. 12 and 13, the strips S3, S3a or the strips S4, 840 may underlie the bottommost pair of containers in the package or may comprise separate strips carrying the attached clips 10a, 12a, which engage the adjacent container beads as described. In these forms of packages, the free ends of the strip legs or rims may be suitably apertured to receive enlarged end formations of separately attached handles such as 42 of FIG. 12 and 43 of FIG. 13 by which the packages are carried with the containers in horizontal position as mentioned in connection with FIG. 10.

With respect to the cover D, it is provided with apertures 44, 44a, 44b dimensioned to receive the overall length and width dimensions of the clips 10, I2, 14 or 10a, 12a, 140, as the case may be in the various forms of packages shown. Thus, in FIG. 1, the cover D may be applied to the ends of the containers and the clips 10, I2, 14 passed through the openings 44, 44a, 44b, respectively, to engage the container beads with the handle portions 16, 16a projecting thereabove. When in position, edges of the openings in the cover may be pressed to underlie the downwardly facing shoulder surfaces 32, 32a of each clip to snugly maintain the cover in position. Where the clips are separately attached to a strip, as in FIGS. 7 through 13, the covers D, DI (FIG. 10) will underlie the strip S1 with the clips 10a, 12a, 14a extending through the apertures 44, 44a, 4411, respectively, in the covers. it is to be understood that covers may be employed with the packages of ill, 12 and 13 if desired.

While certain forms of the invention have been shown for purposes of illustration, it is to be understood that various changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

I. A multiunit package of cans or the like containers having outward end beads or rims with outer bead surfaces of adjacent containers in abutting relationship, and including a strip of sheet material with spaced integral clips therealong, each clip including a top portion overlying adjacently positioned container beads, sidewalls depending from said top portion and presenting opposite inner surfaces shaped to snugly engage inner surfaces of adjacent container beads, and end walls depending from said top portion and each having outward lug formations to engage beneath outwardly extending under surfaces of adjacent container beads; and integral handle means associated with the strip for carrying the package, said handle means being in the form of loops of the strip of sheet material between adjacent clips.

2. A multiunit package as claimed in claim 1, wherein a cover element is disposed over the ends of the packaged containers and is provided with spaced apertures through which the clips and handle loops extend.

3. A multiunit package as claimed in claim 2, wherein ribs extend laterally from the sidewalls of the clip and present downwardly facing shoulder surfaces beneath which adjacent portions of the cover element are disposed. 

1. A multiunit package of cans or the like containers having outward end beads or rims with outer bead surfaces of adjacent containers in abutting relationship, and including a strip of sheet material with spaced integral clips therealong, each clip including a top portion overlying adjacently positioned container beads, sidewalls depending from said top portion and presenting opposite inner surfaces shaped to snugly engage inner surfaces of adjacent container beads, and end walls depending from said top portion and each having outward lug formations to engage beneath outwardly extending under surfaces of adjacent container beads; and integral handle means associated with the strip for carrying the package, said handle means being in the form of loops of the strip of sheet material between adjacent clips.
 2. A multiunit package as claimed in claim 1, wherein a cover element is disposed over the ends of the packaged containers and is provided with spaced apertures through which the clips and handle loops extend.
 3. A multiunit package as claimed in claim 2, wherein ribs extend laterally from the sidewalls of the clip and present downwardly facing shoulder surfaces beneath which adjacent portions of the cover element are disposed. 